By JONAS TERRADO
Chot Reyes said the decision to play in the G-League Select Team will not only improve Kai Sotto’s chances of fulfilling his NBA dream but also to raise his game to another level.
“He’s going to get daily, top-level competition, so that’s what Kai needs” Reyes said in Thursday’s episode of Coaches Unfiltered.
The 7-foot-2 former Ateneo high school star elected to suit up for a team of youngsters put up by the NBA G-League to play games outside of the developmental league, opening opportunities for him to raise his NBA stock.
But for that to happen, Reyes said Sotto needs to use the games against older, better players in the developmental league to his advantage.
“He needs to toughen up, kung baga sa tagalog kailangan niyang mabugbog,” Reyes said. “He needs to play against people (that is) bigger, stronger and better than he is, competition that will never get here, obviously, in the Philippines.”
Sotto is joined on the G-League by Fil-American Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Daishen Nix, Isaiah Todd and India’s Princepal Singh.
The 18-year-old entertained offers from US NCAA Division I schools since arriving in Atlanta last year to launch his NBA bid.
In the end, Sotto saw the unique setup of being in the G-League Select squad as a good decision.
“For now, that was the best option because the people behind the G-League are also the NBA people,” said Reyes. “The G-League is an NBA project. It has nothing to do with the league. So it was good strategically for Kai to be there so that he’s already in the ‘NBA radar’ and part of the NBA family.
“I think it’s going to improve his chances of eventually getting drafted in the NBA. He’ll be in the sight, in the consciousness of a lot of guys who’ll be determining if he makes it to the NBA or not in the next year or two,” added Reyes.
